Joo Ho-young "Was $2.5 Billion Actually Delivered to North Korea... Moon Should Also Clarify His Position"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Lim Chun-han] At the confirmation hearing of Park Ji-won, the nominee for the Director of the National Intelligence Service, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, who revealed a secret agreement specifying a "$2.5 billion investment in North Korea," emphasized, "It must be clarified whether the $2.5 billion was actually delivered," and urged, "President Moon Jae-in should also answer whether he was aware of this and proceeded accordingly."

On the 27th, at the emergency committee meeting of the United Future Party, Floor Leader Joo stated, "The newly surfaced document is an agreement on economic cooperation, outlining that from June 2000 for three years, investments and economic cooperation loans amounting to $2.5 billion would be provided to social overhead capital," explaining this.

He pointed out, "Clause 2 of the document states that the South will provide $500 million based on humanitarian spirit on the occasion of the inter-Korean summit," adding, "Until now, even the provision of $500 million has been denied, but if this document is true, then in addition to the $500 million, investments and economic cooperation loans amounting to $2.5 billion were provided during the three-year term of the Kim Dae-jung administration."

Floor Leader Joo said, "If this document is true, then everything Park the nominee has said is a lie, and it is a serious matter to clarify how much of the $2.5 billion was actually provided to the North," and added, "Park says he does not remember signing this document, but I hope President Moon will answer whether he knew about the existence of such a document and whether Park was aware and involved in this matter."

He explained, "The signature on this document is visually identical to the signatures of President Moon, Representative Shin Ki-nam, and Park from the 2015 Fair Election Practice Agreement," and said, "Based on this document, I called him a 'person colluding with the enemy'." Earlier, when Floor Leader Joo called Park a 'person colluding with the enemy,' President Moon criticized it as a "very inappropriate remark."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding Park's attitude at the confirmation hearing, Floor Leader Joo also criticized, "The public who watched the broadcast can clearly see Park's attitude and refusal to submit materials," and said, "He refused to submit materials mostly related to personal matters, and due to the Democratic Party's refusal, only one witness was accepted, who also refused to attend, making it a blind hearing."

He added, "What the Director of the National Intelligence Service must thoroughly protect and conceal are state secrets, not personal academic background or past records," and said, "It is something that can be known just by submitting academic transcripts and grades, but he refuses to submit them and claims he does not know about it, saying that Dankook University made a mistake in recording it."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.